Why is it called a qualification. It isn’t. It’s proof (technically) you’ve attended 35 hours of instruction. You have no exam to prove you took anything in or gained any knowledge.
It acts as a revenue for the country and so that should one day you drop a giant testicle someone can say " you should know that" here’s the maximum penalty.
How many other jobs that are paying just over minimum wage, in some cases, required to do this. In one hand someone is saying your job is dangerous and needs a certain level of enforced knowledge to safely carry it out. In the other hand they say it’s only worth £8.50 an hour.
Complete utter madness. For my last 5 I endured first the safe handling one because it was cheap. What a mistake. The longest 7 hours of my life and I can honestly say learned nothing at all. So I then decided the remaining 4 I would chose better. Did first aid, in my view this should be compulsory, as we are often first at the scene of accidents and a few steps could save lives. Then I did my forklift certificate, how on earth that makes me a better driver. Then I did the tachograph one. I did learn some things but on the whole it was an arguing session with old lags telling the instructor he was wrong ( he was on most occasions) how does that help anyone? The other two were so good I can’t even remember!
Did it make me a better driver, no. A better citizen ( first aid) maybe. In my view a load of twaddle
When I meet with other drivers I ask them about their DCPC experiences. Very few have said any thing positive. As it stands its a waste of time and money. I have been to modules presented by three trainers One (a woman BTW) knew her stuff, the other two were zb.
I had the same DCPC trainer for three courses, in every one he regaled the group (most of whom were present the week before) with the same boring story of a day on the agency delivering parcels.
Love those who write stuff down like it really matters.
malcolmgbell:
It seems that what ever I say you all seem to be adderment that it is a bad thing,it’s as if the system is against you,it was put in place to protect your from your selfs,you can no longer blame others for your errors,as now you are the ones that have to take respouncabity for you actions.the dcpc is there to educate you on how to do thing properly. I no you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,but you can educate the uneducated, there for making it a safer place for all,I bid you all a good day
I’d support the creation of an additional module called “English spelling and grammar”. It wouldn’t do anything for driving standards but at least it would make it less painful for my eyes when reading internet forums.
The DCPC is a good idea but implemented in the wrong way, compulsory course attendance is pointless when all that’s needed is a multiple choice test every few years to make sure that a drivers knowledge is up-to date, this would be a real qualification rather than simply a money making opportunity as it is today.
A multiple choice test would show that the driver is aware of what’s required from him/her because some study would be necessary, all that’s required now is to stay awake during the course and even that’s sometimes optional
I am doing 3 modules this year and 2 next year. With a little luck and a lot of effort, I will have a qualification that is worth the paper its written on before my DCPC expires again
tachograph:
The DCPC is a good idea but implemented in the wrong way, compulsory course attendance is pointless when all that’s needed is a multiple choice test every few years to make sure that a drivers knowledge is up-to date, this would be a real qualification rather than simply a money making opportunity as it is today.
A multiple choice test would show that the driver is aware of what’s required from him/her because some study would be necessary, all that’s required now is to stay awake during the course and even that’s sometimes optional
Maybe personalise it a bit. The drivers who get lots of infringements could may be focus on drivers hours. Drivers who go into city centres a lot could do cycling awareness. Definitely don’t allow people to do the same module 5 times.
tachograph:
The DCPC is a good idea but implemented in the wrong way, compulsory course attendance is pointless when all that’s needed is a multiple choice test every few years to make sure that a drivers knowledge is up-to date, this would be a real qualification rather than simply a money making opportunity as it is today.
A multiple choice test would show that the driver is aware of what’s required from him/her because some study would be necessary, all that’s required now is to stay awake during the course and even that’s sometimes optional
Maybe personalise it a bit. The drivers who get lots of infringements could may be focus on drivers hours. Drivers who go into city centres a lot could do cycling awareness. Definitely don’t allow people to do the same module 5 times.
You could argue that they are just treating us like adults… I know this is a stretch but letting the driver (or company if they pay) pick the courses means we can determine what is most beneficial to us… Yet people go for the cheapest option (don’t blame them) and then say it’s a total waste of time. Just saying like - but on one hand drivers complain of being treated like children, but when they are treated like adults then they don’t like it either.
If I was to pick a perfect CPC modules for me personally… A day practisiing reversing in an artic. A day learning more about urban driving. And probably a day of intensive learning about how to secure different/obscure loads. However, I won’t pay for all those… But if I did I’d be a better driver. I’ll take the cheap route and be bored silly… And that’s my own fault really.
malcolmgbell:
It seems that what ever I say you all seem to be adderment that it is a bad thing,it’s as if the system is against you,it was put in place to protect your from your selfs,you can no longer blame others for your errors,as now you are the ones that have to take respouncabity for you actions.the dcpc is there to educate you on how to do thing properly. I no you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,but you can educate the uneducated, there for making it a safer place for all,I bid you all a good day
I’d support the creation of an additional module called “English spelling and grammar”. It wouldn’t do anything for driving standards but at least it would make it less painful for my eyes when reading internet forums.
malcolmgbell:
It seems that what ever I say you all seem to be adderment that it is a bad thing,it’s as if the system is against you,it was put in place to protect your from your selfs,you can no longer blame others for your errors,as now you are the ones that have to take respouncabity for you actions.the dcpc is there to educate you on how to do thing properly. I no you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,but you can educate the uneducated, there for making it a safer place for all,I bid you all a good day
It is a bad thing…
It pretends to educate when it clearly does not. Every week there is a new thread on here involving some moron who sat through this dcpc crap, hitting a bridge, driving like a numpty or just generally behaving like a prize idiot and winning first prize at the prize idiots county fair.
The system is against us. It will ALWAYS be against the working man.
Make it pass/fail, involve some driving, blind side reversing, load distribution, strapping techniques, fridge unit temperature settings etc. Try to actually engage us on a level that we can learn from.
+1. Good post mate. Teach people something of use ffs.
As for the system, if you know how to erm… ’ navigate ’ it, you can make it work for YOU
